The Tribune

THE government yesterday dispatched COVID-19 vaccines as part of a joint five-day mission with the United States to distribute doses to eight Family Islands.

The islands include Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island, Cat Island, Long Island, Inagua, Bimini and Eleuthera.

The mission will span five days (April 26-30). The first day saw the distribution of 3,200 vaccine doses to Bahamians in need on remote islands.

The effort highlights just how deep and how wide the partnership between the United States and The Bahamas goes, the US Embassy in Nassau said in a press release.

Their first stop yesterday was Mayaguana.

The US Embassy partnered with the Rhode Island National Guard, the National COVID- 19 Vaccine Consultative Committee, the Ministry of Health and health providers on the ground on the various islands to carry out the joint mission.

The Rhode Island National Guard (RING) provided the aircraft for the mission – a C-12 plane capable of carrying 1650lbs of passenger and cargo plus crew. US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) pitched in with a donation of specialised coolers — valued at $40,000 — for properly transporting vaccine doses and keeping them viable.

The National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee worked with the Ministry of Health to determine a distribution plan and the locations most in need, and the US Embassy brought everyone together to help execute the joint mission, the press release noted.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and US Chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts met at Odyssey International Airport for the launch of the mission, along with Chairperson of the National COVID- 19 Vaccine Consultative Committee Dr Merceline Dahl Regis, US Embassy Senior Defence Official Commander Kevin Self, Major Philip Aubin of the Rhode Island National Guard, and other key members of the joint effort.

Since 2006, the Rhode Island National Guard has partnered with The Bahamas — primarily the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) — through the Department of Defence’s State Partnership Programme (SPP). The SPP pairs the National Guard of a US state or territory with a partner country’s military and security forces but can assist in other areas, as well.

For example, in addition to the vaccine distribution mission, in June 2020 the RING also donated $20,000 worth of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machines to the Ministry of Health, converted to ventilators for use as treatment for respiratory distress due to COVID-19.